Backhanders Run the Game

Brawls at football matches are frequently triggered by referees’ controversial decisions. But money and lobbying commonly determine the outcome of a game.

January 26, 2011

IT was just after sunrise when Sigit Wido emerged from the Mirah Hotel in Bogor. Together with a colleague, this deputy secretary-general of the Palangkaraya Football Club headed for the bustling northern side of the city. Less than a quarter of an hour later, their Bluebird taxi arrived at a mall. His companion first contacted a number, and then they entered a shophouse.

Among the display cases, the two Persepar football club officials spotted

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